Survey - What is your favorite hunting sock?

[Tiger Rag]

Please choose your favorite sock choice and explain which version you use and why. I've allowed for multiple choice as some may use a liner sock in addition to another or have a specific sock for early season and another for late.

 

[desertcj]

Darn Tough Hike Trek full cushion is what I wear. I here that Smartwool is good though as well.

 

[Tiger Rag]

Smartwool PHD Heavy are my favorite by far and the Mediums are good too. Seem to breath the best for me, even in the middle of summer. I wear them pretty much every day (also have PHD light mini crew for my low top footwear).

I've got Darn Tough. For me they just seem to make my foot clammier than the Smartwool PHD's and then cause my feet to be colder in the winter and fear blisters on the trail with them. I haven't gone there for that reason - I always do the PHD's on the trail to help prevent blisters. Your mileage may vary. I know most seem to prefer the Darn Tough socks on this forum. I also have never seen options to buy them more affordably online. Maybe 20% off once a year is about the best I've seen. I have bought Lorpen's for my son and they seem similar to the DT's I have. Don't get me wrong though, the DT's are quality socks. My understanding is they lay them up differently than Smartwool to make them last longer. I think they put their (lycra?) layer on the outside to protect the merino layer inside and I think SW has that kind of sandwiched with merino on both sides. I have not seen a problem with the Smartwool PHD's lasting at all though, I've been wearing them exclusively for the most part for the better part of probably 4 or 5 years now. Still wearing some of the other original pairs I bought at least 10 years ago. I will say the newest PHD heavy's I got for Christmas don't seem to have the same thickness and maybe not the same quality as my 4 or 5 year old versions. I'll keep an eye on that and post up on here if I don't see the same reliability. Anyway, that is what has been working for me. Oh, and I generally don't wear a liner sock anymore, just one pair of the PHD's with their quality and also attributed to the quality of good boots.

I know some don't think socks are a big deal, but I disagree.

 

[luke moffat]

Anything merino...my feet aren't that picky. Darn toughs are nice but they are proud of them, but they do last longer than most other brands. I have several sets from several companies...they all work fine for me.

 

[PMcGee]

Anything merino...my feet aren't that picky. Darn toughs are nice but they are proud of them, but they do last longer than most other brands. I have several sets from several companies...they all work fine for me.

X2 I buy whatever I find on sale. I wear them everyday for work.

 

[tipsntails7]

Darn toughs are my favorite for pretty much everything, helps that they will replace my worn out pairs. I've got some icebreakers that are not to bad, and I picked up a bunch of lorpen when camofire had them on sale.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

I like the red Smartwood mountaineering-weight socks. Wear them in an uninsulated all-leather boot and get great results.

 

[Yellowknife]

I'll wear pretty much whatever semi-decent non-cotton sock I happen to find in my drawer before I go. Mostly Darn Tough right now, and I use a variety of their models.

The only sock I don't buy anymore is Smartwool. In my and my families experience they wear out extremely fast considering the price charged. I even had the opportunity to buy them direct for wholesale prices recently and didn't even bother signing up. That may be in part though because we all wear our wool socks on a pretty much daily basis, so they aren't really a dedicated "hiking/hunting" sock.

Yk

 

[tstowater]

I've wore a lot of Smartwool over the years but have found that the Darn Tough are hard to beat for hunting applications.

 

[couesbitten]

I can't believe that you don't have the Costco Kirkland Signature brand merino sock in your poll choices, that's all my family wears, can't beat them at about $3 per pair.

 

[kodiakfly]

Bridgedales of various weights for what I'm doing.

 

[weaver]

Lorpen...not sure what model but I bought a bunch off camofire 3 years ago and wear them every day. Still not a single hole in any of them.

 

[Tiger Rag]

I've wore a lot of Smartwool over the years but have found that the Darn Tough are hard to beat for hunting applications.

I've got "Generic Branded Merino Wool Sock" to cover Kirkland and other store brands. I've got some of the Kirkland as well. Not bad, especially for the money.

 

[Tiger Rag]

I'll wear pretty much whatever semi-decent non-cotton sock I happen to find in my drawer before I go. Mostly Darn Tough right now, and I use a variety of their models.

The only sock I don't buy anymore is Smartwool. In my and my families experience they wear out extremely fast considering the price charged. I even had the opportunity to buy them direct for wholesale prices recently and didn't even bother signing up. That may be in part though because we all wear our wool socks on a pretty much daily basis, so they aren't really a dedicated "hiking/hunting" sock.

Yk

Interesting on the Smartwool as I haven't experienced that at all, quite the opposite. I will say once I wore a pair of the Smartwool PHD's, I stopped buying any of the other versions. I wear them on daily basis as well. You can find smoking deals at times on the Smartwool's, just have to be patient. I think I do have one of the other versions of Smartwool's that are probably 4 or 5 years old that have a thin point in the heel so they don't owe me anything at this point.

Can't argue on the DT's they wear well, but same as Smartwool for me although they don't get worn as much as they aren't as comfortable to me and seem to make my foot clammier. Good info though YK

 

[Tony Trietch]

I have smart wool and Lorpens. I am happy with them but plan on trying the Darn tough soon.

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

Darn tough here. I wear them every day!

 

[dieselpwr]

Darn tough or first light. Both have great quality socks.

 

[Wrongside]

I wear regular old wool work socks, some Smartwool and some Costco merino. With a decent liner, it doesn't really matter to me which ones. The Costco merinos win the value/comfort prize for sure!

 

[Tiger Rag]

Darn tough or first light. Both have great quality socks.

I didn't even realize First Lite made socks. The Mountain Athlete versions look nice! Might have to try a couple pairs. Wish they stated their percentage of merino in their blend. Smartwool PHD's have the highest I have seen to date.

 

[sneaky]

I'm fortunate to live about 10 min from the manufacturer/distributor of Smartwool and I can get them for about $3 a pair quite often when they run sales. Usually they have a limit per month on how many pairs you get but even then it's only $6 a pair. Needless to say I'm partial to the Smartwools wear them every day.